The Ming Dynasty: A bookstore sells the history of the Ming Dynasty, leaving Emperor Chongzhen bewil

Ming history?

How come there's a book called "History of Ming" here?

Moreover, this copy of the History of Ming was placed on the bookshelf after the History of Yuan, which he was familiar with.

Is this part of the history of his Ming Dynasty?

impossible!

Although the Ming Dynasty has weathered nearly three hundred years of storms, it is still the Ming Dynasty's domain. So how can there be a history book about the Ming Dynasty?

Emperor Chongzhen was filled with doubts. He eagerly and somewhat tremblingly took the book "History of Ming" from the bookshelf.

The layout and simplified characters still look uncomfortable, but he can understand them.

Simplified Chinese characters have existed since ancient times.

The most well-known "Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion" is written in simplified Chinese characters.

Volume One, Annals One, Emperor Taizu.

"Emperor Taizu, who opened the heavens, established the Way, founded the ages, and established the great sage, supremely divine, benevolent, righteous, martial, outstanding, virtuous, and accomplished Emperor Gao, whose personal name was Yuanzhang, courtesy name Guorui, and surname Zhu. His ancestors were from Pei, moved to Jurong, and then to Sizhou. His father, Shizhen, was the first to move to Zhongli in Haozhou. He had four sons..."

Isn't this passage recorded in the History of Ming the very story of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty?

Emperor Chongzhen was deeply shaken and continued scrolling down.

The next volume, Annals II, Emperor Gongmin.

"Emperor Gongminhui, whose personal name was Yunwen, was the grandson of Emperor Taizu and the second son of Crown Prince Yiwen. His mother was Consort Lü. The emperor was born intelligent and studious, and extremely filial. At the age of fourteen, he stayed by Crown Prince Yiwen's side day and night when the latter fell ill. Two years later, the Crown Prince passed away..."

The next volume, the third in the Annals, tells the story of Emperor Chengzu.

No need to look anymore.

That's right, this is the history of his Ming Dynasty!

but……

How could this happen?

History is only history when it becomes the past. Each dynasty only becomes history when it perishes and the next dynasty gives it a place in history.

This is why the saying "history is written by the victors" came about.

But even though the Ming Dynasty is facing internal and external troubles, it's not over yet. Emperor Chongzhen wants to revitalize the Ming Dynasty, so how come there are history books about the Ming Dynasty?

If there are historical records of the Ming Dynasty, doesn't that mean the Ming Dynasty is dead?

impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

Emperor Chongzhen could not accept the notion that the Ming Dynasty had fallen.

He had just overthrown Wei Zhongxian, and at that moment he was full of confidence and ambition, thinking only of reviving the Ming Dynasty. But now you're telling him that the Ming Dynasty is doomed?

This was like a thunderbolt striking Chongzhen directly on the head, leaving him stunned and rooted to the spot.

No, no, I almost fell for their trap.

When Chongzhen came to his senses, he broke out in a cold sweat. He re-examined everything that had happened in the bookstore. Everything in the bookstore was too strange. Someone must have deliberately led him here and made him see this fabricated "History of Ming".

Who is it?

There were only two people in the bookstore at that time.

Chongzhen turned to look at the young employer, but the young employer ignored him completely, still engrossed in tinkering with something.

It's him?

What was his purpose in doing this? How did he manage to open a bookstore inside his palace?

Monsters? Gods?

There were too many questions that Emperor Chongzhen couldn't understand.

However, he did want to see how this "History of Ming" was compiled, and where it ended up. Did the Ming Dynasty actually perish or not?

Everyone wants to know what will happen in the future.

Throughout history, countless emperors and sages have devoted themselves to divination, using the Eight Trigrams and the art of Qimen Dunjia, all in an effort to glimpse a corner of the future.

Emperor Chongzhen was naturally very curious, and he wanted to see the History of Ming in his hands, regardless of whether it was true or false.

He flipped through the pages quickly.

The preceding part of history was basically the same as what he knew; what he wanted to see was the history that followed.

Finally, he turned to his volume.

Volume 16 of the Annals, Emperor Zhuanglie.

"Emperor Zhuangliemin, whose personal name was Youjian, was the fifth son of Emperor Guangzong. He was born in the twelfth month of the thirty-eighth year of the Wanli reign. His mother, Consort Xian, née Liu, died young. In the second year of the Tianqi reign, he was enfeoffed as Prince Xin. In the eleventh month of the sixth year, he moved to the Prince Xin's residence..."

That's right, the Zhuanglie Emperor was referring to Zhu Youjian.

but……

He hasn't even died yet, so how come he already has a posthumous title?

A posthumous title is a written evaluation given to a person after their death, and it is generally used for emperors or people with high social status.

The posthumous title "Emperor Zhuanglie" made Emperor Chongzhen's heart skip a beat, sensing an ominous aura.

There was still a long stretch of history in between, but Chongzhen couldn't wait to turn to the end.

"The Emperor died at Wansui Mountain, and Wang Chengen followed him in death. He wrote on his robe: 'I, of meager virtue and lowly status, have offended Heaven, but all this is due to the mistakes of my ministers. I have no face to meet my ancestors in death. I remove my crown and cover my face with my hair. Let the rebels tear me apart, but do not harm a single commoner.'"

Dozens of people died, starting with Grand Secretary Fan Jingwen. On the day of Bingchen, the rebels moved the coffins of the Emperor and Empress to Changping. The people of Changping opened the tomb of Consort Tian for burial.

The Ming Dynasty fell.

In the fourth month of that summer, our Great Qing army defeated the rebels at Shanhaiguan. In the fifth month, they entered the capital and reburied the emperor's body, ordering the people to observe three days of mourning. The emperor was posthumously honored as Emperor Zhuangliemin, and his mausoleum was named Siling.

Upon seeing this, Emperor Chongzhen was struck dumb, as if by lightning.

What?

The fall of the Ming Dynasty?

They died at his hands?

How is that possible?

Is this true or false?

How could he be the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty?

Emperor Chongzhen was in turmoil, his chest heaving violently with intense emotions.

suddenly.

Emperor Chongzhen suddenly awoke as if from a dream and quickly flipped through the pages.

really.

That's it, there's nothing more.

This chapter ends here. He was Emperor Chongzhen, the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

Do not!

This can't be true!

Emperor Chongzhen did not believe the outcome. He had already eliminated Wei Zhongxian. He was full of ambition. He worked tirelessly day and night. He stayed away from women and lived frugally, focusing on revitalizing the Ming Dynasty. He was more diligent than any emperor in the history of the Ming Dynasty, even rivaling Emperor Taizu. But why?

Why did the Ming Dynasty fall at his hands?

Who exactly fabricated this?

After the initial shock, Emperor Chongzhen was overcome with a strange rage.

To fabricate such a story about him is utterly despicable!

Emperor Chongzhen suddenly looked up at the young owner sitting at the front desk, and his eyes widened in surprise.

The person has disappeared?

Just as he was struggling with his inner turmoil and filled with doubt and uncertainty, the young owner had somehow appeared beside him and said with a smile, "Excuse me, classmate, the bookstore is about to close."